THE CHARLOTTE LABOR JOURNAL AND DIXIE FARM NEWS * Published at Charlotte, North Carolina OLDEST LABOR PUBLICATION IN THE TWO~CAROLlNAS H. A. Stalls, Editor and Publisher W. M. Witter, Aaaociate Editor Entered as second-class mail matter September il, 1931, at the Poat Office at Charlotte, N. C., under the Act of Congress of March 3. 1879. Endorsed by Charlotte Typographical Union, Number 338, An Af flliate of Charlotte Central Labor Union and the North f !>» hed eration of Labor. IF yoH need a Bible IF you need religious books IF you need church supplies C A L L ON US We will be happy to order for you any book in print Write for free catalogue BAPTIST BOOK STORE 121 W. Hargett St. RALEIGH, N. C. For Indigestion, Sour Stomach and Gaa, Take NA-CO TABLETS MONEY BACK GUARANTEE SELWYN CUT RATE DRUG STORE NEXT TO FOOT OFFICC Some of The Things We Lend Money on (Mam ndi UateU-e Jewelry Mep'^ Clothing Toole Silverware Shot Guns Rin«s Pistols Trunks Addins Machism I B*l* Suit ClM Muniral InMranti Kodak* Typewriter* All Business Strictly Confidential. When in Need of Money We Never Fail You. 8m a* for bargain ia diamonds, watches. Jewelry, clothing, etc. RELIABLE LOAN CO. Ml BAST TRADB STREET SERVING THE SOUTH With greater FOOD VALUES! • Shop And Save At The Sign Of The GS Rooster Colonial Stores CHRISTMAS GREETINGS JOB P. WYATT & SONS CO. Hardware — Seeds — Farm Implements RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA BRYAN ROCK & SAND COMPANY * INCORPORATED ★ Producers of SAND — GRAVEL CRUSHED STONE ★ RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA PLANTS Aberdeen, N. C. Garysburg, N. C. Goldsboro, N. C. Lillington, N. C. Bailey, N. C. Italy Hill, N. C. Rolesville, N. C. Wendell, N. C. we wouldn’t be surprised/ RALEIGH, N. C., Dec. 13. — The Hackney Brothers’ Arm of Wilson is unhappy. The out fit was clipped $8,500 for failing to live up to a contract with the State, and has powerful friends trying to get its money refunded. The story—first reported in this column—goes like this: On April 7 Hackney Brothers got a ocntract to build bodies for 450 badly needed school buses. Under the contract, the Wilson firm was to deliver the buses at the rate of seven per cent (82 buses) a week, starting one month after the chassis were delivered to them. The 450 chassis went to the Wilson firm on May 10, so the first 32 buses were to have been delivered by June 9 and the contract completed by September 1st. By July 27 not one single bus had been delivered. Hackney pleaded wartime difficulty in get ting steel—but the contract was given him April 7, two and one half months before the Korean war started and while he still could have ordered the steel. On July 27, Contract and Pur-! chase Division Director Charlie Williams sent a registered letter to Hackney Brothers calling for delivery or else. The “or else” was covered by a clause in the contract which says: “In case of default of the contractor, the State may procure the articles or services from other sources and hold the contractor responsible for any excess cdst occasioned thereby.” 'Williams pulled 100 buses from Hackney, sent them to a Georgia firm to have bus bodies put on them. The cost $45 per bus above the Hackney bid of $1,110 per bus, plus some $40 per bus in transportation and inspection charges. In other words, each of those 100 buses cost the State approximately $85 more than the Hackney hid. It wasn’t until August 12 that Hackney delivered the first bua. By October lfi—a month and a half late—the last of the original 450 buses contracted for had been delivered, with Hackney actually building only 350 of them. When Hacltttey submitted his invoice, calling for full payment for the 350 buses, Williams de ducted the approximately $8,500 extra it had cost for the 100 buses built by the Georgia firm. Hackney was unhappy, he felt he should have the full amount, de spite the fact he had not lived up to his contract. Williams refused. It wasn’t long until Larry j Moore of Wilson, chairman of the finance committee in the House in the 1940 session and thereby i a member of the Advisory Bud get Commission, was "suggest ing” that Hackney couldn’t help his inability to get steel and “shouldn't be made to suffer” be cause of an unforseen war. Moor? enlisted the aid of fel low-Advisory Budget Commission member Prank Taylor of Wayne Taylor was chairman of the 1949 House appropriations committee —a post he is reportedly slated ready to hand Moore if Taylor is named speaker of the 1951 House. Recently Hackney was allowed to argue his case before a secret —as always—session of the Ad visory Budget Commission, which also is the board which awards contracts. »What happened at that session has not been reported, but reli able sources say no action was taken on the Hackney matter de spite efforts of Moore and Tay lor. However, it wouldn’t be sur prising if there is an effort in the 1951 Legislature to try to get the $8,500 handed back to the Hack ney firm. P.S.—This isn’t the first time the Hackney outfit has been a lit tle slow delivering school buses it had contracted to build. The firm was given a similar contract on April 9, 1946. By June 18, 1947—more than a year later— the firm still had not delivered. A letter from then-Contract and Purchase Director W. Z. Betts said in part: “Your lack of co operation in fulfilling any part of your contract has given us serious concern.” Former Di rector Betts also gave a “deliver or else” ultimatum. The new buses are used to re place old school buses. Failure to deliver them on time could mean a serious accident, killing or maiming school children who had to ride in rickety school buses that were scheduled for re placement. The North Carolina Education Association — which includes teachers, principals, and school superintendents—has a new item on its 1951 legislative campaign. It’s going to ask the General Assembly to grant 10 days sick leave a year—cumulative — with full pay for teachers. This is in addition to the sick leave setup they have now, whereby the teach er is allowed to stay out while sick as long as necessary, mak ing up the difference between state pay and local pay to a sub stitute. NCEA claims it is a profes sional organization and not a un ion. However, the organisation has recently taken in a “Depart ment of Transportation,” made up of tlje people who maintain school buses and can by no stretch of the imagination be classified as "professional” peo ple. NCEA’S main function seems to be to holler “gimme” to the legislature. Few people realise the enormous Job that John Gold undertook when he took over as prisons di rector. He says he’s learning as . he goes along. • His ideas are sound. He be lieves the pison department has a great responsibility. Rehabili ; tation of the prisoner should be ! the primary aim of the prison, | Gold says. Every effort should 1 be made to turn him out as a j good citixen, able to live and work | with his fellow man. Being in ; prison is, of course, punishment i for law violation. But Gold be lieves the prisoner should be taught discipline, through obey ing prison rules and regulations; a trade, so that he will be able to care for himself when he gets out; and the will to become and remain a good citizen. That in itself is a big job. It would be an easier job if the State could afford to spend plenty of money on its prison system. But when you realize the sprawling, nature of our prison system, then you realize what a tremendous administrative job John Gbld has. There are 86 prison camps, sprinkled from one end of North Carolina to the other. There is the youth center at Camp But ner, Caledonia farm. Camp Polk dairy farm. Woman’s Prison and Central Prison. As of December 1 there tpgre 9.122 prisoners. Here’s just one of the minor problems—6,000 hogs are used a year in feeding prisoners. These must' be raised, processed and transported to the various unite. The bare necessity of feeding, clothing, housing and guarding prisoners is a big undertaking. And when you add a program of prison reform, rehabilitation, andj an attempt to add to prison in dustries, brother, you have a real headache. Gold is taking it in stride. He’s investigating every report of mis treatment of prisoners, misfeas ance in office. 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